Press Room

~~Bruce Aldrich, Jr and Bob Lounsbury are at it again. Two years ago here at Monticello Raceway that driver/trainer combination had 18 consecutive victories with a claiming pacer by the name of Tracy’s Song, and currently they’re running another string with Burlesque, also a claiming pacing mare.

On the Monday afternoon card of Sept. 22 Aldrich guided the Lounsbury-trained Burlesque to an easy 1:57.3 victory over Rusty’s Flying (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.) which was the mare’s seventh win in-a-row.

In what turned out to be one of the fastest miles ever trotted at Monticello Raceway On The Podium rambled to a 1:56.2 triumph winning the featured race on Wednesday afternoon, (Sept. 17). That mark erased the former standard of 1:57 co-owned by Cornishman N in 2011 and Rompaway Alan in 2013.

~~There are some who are hard to beat here at Monticello Raceway; two are horses and the other is driver Bruce Aldrich Jr.

On Monday afternoon, Sept. 15, Shortest Distance notched her 20th seasonal victory and Diamond Tiara racked up win number 19, and leading driver Bruce Aldrich, Jr. reined five winners on the 10 race card and continues to lead the driving colony in victories.

The veteran pacing mare Shortest Distance seems nearly impossible to beat in the $7500 claiming ranks and she continues to lead all Standardbreds in wins in North America this season.

Rose Run Nash scored his 18th victory of the season at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday afternoon when Jimmy Marohn Jr. drove him to s 1:57.4 triumph over On The Podium driven by Bruce Aldrich, Jr.

Now the 5 year old altered son of Trainforthefuture has moved four victories ahead of Too Salty and continues to lead North America in races won this year by a trotter. In fact Rose Run Nash trails Mighty M pacer Shortest Distance by just one triumph for most victories by any standardbred in 2014.

It wasn’t a battle of the titans at Monticello Raceway on Monday afternoon (Sept 8), it was, however, a confrontation between Diamond Tiara and Shortest Distance, the two harness horses with the most victories, (18) in North America this season.

Actually the two had confronted one another back on August 25th and both finished off the board. But on Monday, Shortest Distance prevailed and her 19th seasonal triumph makes her the clear leader in races won by a Standardbred tin 2014.

With Jimmy Marohn, Jr. sidelined by a racing accident at Tioga Downs last weekend, Monticello Raceway based trainer trainer Danny Gill, who uses Marohn almost exclusively, had to scramble to fill the gap behind his pupils this week.
However, on Thursday (Sept. 4), when Gill had six horses in to go, he split the driving chores between three talented chauffeurs; Bruce Aldrich, Jr. Larry Stalbaum, and Johnny Desimone. And Gill finished with a good day with two wins and two seconds from the six starters.

~~Monticello Raceway hosted the final leg of the New York Sire Stakes and the Excelsior Series for 2 year old filly trotters on Wednesday (Sept. 3). There were three $37,000 splits in the sire stakes and five short fields in the Excelsior Series. And despite eight of the 12 races on the card featuring the up- and -coming freshmen trotters still wagering was good.

~~The cream of the freshmen and sophomore pacers and trotters on the NYSS County Fair circuit convened at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday afternoon, September 2. Eight $10,000 divisions awaited the influx and by days end the champions were crowned in each division.

“It was an enjoyable day of racing watching the youngsters go head to head in each of their divisions,” noted Eric Warner the tracks director of racing. “And with limited amount of charted lines on many of the entrants still wagering on the card was good.”

~~Everyone knows that harness racing was weaned on the half mile tracks and many a young driver learned the ropes while competing in the races at the nation’s county fairs. Now, with those states who have sire stakes programs the events not only have helped preserve county fair racing but the added purse monies made available has spawned groups of horsemen who race primarily on the county fair circuits. New York State has a good program for those who prefer to race at that level, and many do.